Bar of Solace
by Kashimalin
Summary: Frisk needs a place to sleep. Only one person in the Underground has the space, attention span, and schedule to watch over the child - Grillby.
1. A Place of Solace

This is a repost of a fic from early 2016, from AO3.

* * *

"Here?"

Frisk nodded. They had a blanket under one arm already. Clearly, they were intending to do what they had asked.

"Did you ask those two skeleton brothers?"

Frisk nodded. But Papyrus had thought it wasn't a good idea… not with Undyne lurking around, ready to smite Frisk.

Grillby turned from putting glasses back on the shelf. They looked down to Frisk in a pink tutu, looking innocent and adorable.

"And when you left to come here, I assume you gave up another bed?"

Frisk nodded again.

"The only place you have left is here." Grillby sighed, causing his flames to rise up a little bit. "Sure. Take a booth. Do you need a glass of water? Because I'll show you the tap in the kitchen."

But Frisk was already setting up a booth bed as he talked. Grillby merely waited, polishing down counters and tables, until Frisk seemed to get restless. Before long, they were sitting up and watching him clean the table.

"…Are you bored? If you're bored and staying here, I will put you to work."

However, Frisk seemed to jump at the idea rather than fall back into sleep, so they were given the task of sweeping up the room, told to watch Grillby lest the straw of the broom catch on fire. They ran around the room, too quickly to genuinely get any dirt and dog hair off the floor, but enough to make a difference. Grillby watched them, and while he couldn't smile, felt happier seeing this young child have a good time.

By the time they were both done cleaning up, Frisk seemed exhausted, and Grillby set them up in one of the booths.

They nodded off to sleep in a matter of minutes, and Grillby sat there, watching them as their stomach raised and lowered with breathing.

Shutting off the lights in the main bar, he decided to stay downstairs, just in case some monster found their way in and had the intent to hurt the young child who was so peacefully sleeping.

After a few minutes, he too was asleep, his flames dying down slightly and his body sliding down in the seat as he got more comfortable.

Frisk turned over with a content hum, and neither of them moved for the rest of the night.

* * *

Morning brought a slightly sore back. Grillby stretched once, twice, three times as he saw Frisk come out of the kitchen with a glass of water in hand.

The two nodded to each other and Grillby got up to find something. He must have something for the human child to eat, right?

Eventually getting some oatmeal up, they ate together and he sent Frisk off, Sans coming up to the bar as Frisk walked in the other direction.

"Hey, kid," he said, his grin almost getting larger as Frisk walked by. "Papyrus asked if you want to get together again as friends soon! After you meet Undyne, of course… you guys could probably be friends…"

The conversation continued, but Grillby stopped listening. Heaving a sigh, he felt his fire flare up a little bit, in an attempt to get the sleep out of his body. He had a lunch menu to prepare after his morning chat with Sans.

"Thanks for watching the kid last night," he said, coming next to him.

"…The oatmeal's on your tab."


	2. A Place to Rest

"Are you back again?"

Grillby had been taking in the menu sign when he saw the young hero standing outside. They had a couple of new bandages, and the tutu was torn in one place. They'd seen something, and Grillby had an idea of what it was. Sans and Undyne were standing behind the child.

"If you don't mind, Grillby." Sans grinned, patting Frisk's shoulder. "Undyne's crashing at our place."

"Frisk and I had the most epic cooking class!" Undyne shook her fists with excitement at the very thought of it. "We totally mashed those tomatoes against the wall and turned up the heat! It got hot!"

"So hot it burned the house down," Sans finished simply.

There was a silence as those words settled over the group, and Grillby just opened the door a little wider in response.

Frisk excitedly ran inside, eager to escape the cold and into the warmth of the restaurant.

Undyne ran back to Papyrus, yelling something about a totally awesome sleepover, while Sans held back and thanked Grillby once again, saying that he would pay back that tab eventually.

"I'm sure you will," Grillby replied, the joking tone giving away how he felt about it.

Sans waved it off and followed Undyne and Papyrus, who were already talking about all the movies they were going to watch and how they were going to stay up until midnight.

Grillby closed and locked the door behind himself, finding that Frisk was already looking for the broom.

"You don't need to clean up tonight," Grillby absently ruffled the child's hair, and smiled. "You're not going to cook either, after what I hear you did to Undyne's house."

The child looked a little flustered and embarrassed, before going into the kitchen to get another class of water. Grillby followed, asking if they wanted anything for their journey ahead tomorrow. They shook their head in response, showing their spoils from the day. One was a crumpled ticket for a concert, another was a small pile of gold. Then there was the matter of the food – a box of something labelled "Temmie Flaeks", a partially melted Nice Cream, and something that they carefully unwrapped from a napkin – a delectable looking slice of pie.

This child was fine, he considered, although he wondered if he kept a lunchbox of some sort around the place.

 _…What was he thinking?_

* * *

The next morning came with Grillby going downstairs, only to walk in the kitchen and find the child atop the counter and crawling up towards the cabinets, reaching towards the oatmeal. Instantly alarmed, he ran forward, ready to catch either the oatmeal when they let go, or the child when they released their grip on the cabinet.

Luckily, neither happened. Frisk allowed themselves to be placed on the floor gently, and Grillby to prepare another dose of oatmeal for their journey ahead.

"Are you going to the boat?" Frisk nodded in response to his question, and when they were done and all packed up, he left with them, personally seeing the child safely to the boat, despite the fact none of Snowdin's residents any longer had a bone to pick with the young human.

Papyrus and Undyne excitedly waved from the doorstep, where they had been making snowballs, while the bunny children hopped excitedly by towards the pine tree in the center square.

While they descended the steps, Grillby found himself wishing that the child would come back again that night, safe. However, they were going very far into the Underground this time, and there was a chance that they might not return.

"Tra la la," the River Person began. "The man who wears his passion on his body might fall victim to it."

Frisk boarded the boat with minimal difficulty, and Grillby gave a small wave when it departed, staying on the shore until it was gone, and he walked back, finding Sans patiently waiting outside the door.

"That River Person is a strange character," Grillby commented while opening the door for them both.

"Heheh. You think? What'd they say to you?"

Grillby chose to not answer that question.


	3. A Place to Call Home

Frisk came back to Snowdin after traveling through Hotland, intent on getting another cup of water, since the one they could get from the cooler would evaporate soon after they left. When they arrived, they found Grillby talking to someone at the door. But talking wasn't the way to put it.

He was signaling with his hands, and the person was doing it back. Frisk couldn't tell what they were saying, it was unlike any sign language they had ever learned. They only knew the one they learned on the surface, which was useless down here.

They walked up towards the duo, watching while Grillby gave a very final motion, and the person started to walk away, noticing Frisk with a happy nod and smile.

 _"Hello!"_ Frisk signed happily. Grillby looked to Frisk, seeming to not understand the gesture. But he did open the door for them, proceeding to follow inside and lock it behind them. He was very relieved to see them back, knowing that the River Person had most likely dropped them off again and would take them back tomorrow morning.

Frisk tried again at signing, but Grillby only tilted his head to one side.

"Did you meet anybody new at the Hotland?" He had caught wind of the news about Frisk on the television this afternoon, staring alongside Mettaton, who unleashed his new body made by Dr. Alphys. The question was pointless, but he wanted to make conversation.

Frisk nodded excitedly, doing a bit of dancing that they had learned from Mettaton. However, they were the reason Frisk had come back – Alphys was watching anime all night, and Mettaton didn't sleep, instead choosing to work on his next show.

Instead of talking about that, though, Frisk was determined to show Grillby that they could have a conversation. They jumped down off their seat at the bar and tapped the stool.

 _"Chair."_ Then the table nearby. _"Table."_

Finally, Frisk placed a hand on their chest, then signed the letter "F" and flicked it. That was the sign for their name.

Something lit in Grillby's mind, then, and Frisk could tell by the sudden crackle of flames.

He knelt down in front of Frisk, first placing their hand on the table.

He held out a hand and pressed a fist onto it. "Table," he said. Then was silent.

Frisk repeated their sign. " _Table."_ Palms facing down and hands together. Then they opened and came down, almost like they were making the top of a rectangle.

Grillby then placed a hand onto the stool, proceeding to sign "chair". Frisk returned with theirs, sticking out a finger then placing two curved ones onto it, as if someone was sitting on a swing.

Grillby's fire crackled again. He was extremely pleased.

"Booth." Grillby said while signing, but Frisk shook their head, to show that they didn't know that one. So instead, Grillby got a glass from behind the counter, and sat next to Frisk on the stools.

"Cup," he said, sticking a finger up and making a circular motion with it twice, like he was running a finger around an invisible cup.

 _"Cup."_ Frisk held a slightly curved palm out and then placed a curved hand onto it, as if they were holding a cup of their own.

"Breakfast." Grillby laughed at saying this one, thinking about how today, just in case Frisk returned, he had bought a couple more things to make the next morning so that the human wouldn't be living on just oatmeal.

Frisk signed back, placing their left hand on their stomach and raising the other to their mouth before bringing it forward a bit, and moving the left hand from their stomach to the crook of the right elbow and swinging their right hand back once more.

"That's a complex sign," Grillby noted, causing Frisk to smile.

 _"More!"_

They continued into the night, signing multiple words at each other over the counter. Grillby had the great honor at the end of getting his name translated by Frisk – the letter "G" moving upwards from the side of the face, almost like a fish. Clearly, it was meant to intimate his flames.

"Sleep?" Grillby signed quietly, and Frisk nodded, giving a big yawn while going to get water. Grillby silently set up their bed in the booth, waiting for Frisk to come out so they could tuck them in and make sure they didn't need anything else, before he headed off to bed.

To themselves in their little booth bed, Frisk smiled, perfectly content.

* * *

Frisk left again with Grillby that morning, not even needing to talk about where they were going. The residents of Snowdin looked on at the duo like they had been doing it every morning, part of their routine – Grillby escorting the small human to the river so they could ride deeper into the Underground.

The light from Grillby's fire cast shadows in the darkness of the river, and the River Person watched as he bent down to lift Frisk into the boat.

 _"Hug."_ Frisk crossed their wrists on their chest with closed fists.

"Hug?" Grillby asked? He wrapped his arms around himself, gripping just under the shoulders.

Frisk nodded enthusiastically.

Then, they both hesitantly went in for one, but Grillby found Frisk pulling away almost a little too quickly for his liking to board the boat. Their expression appeared neutral, but Grillby knew better – that was one that hadn't wanted to let go.

"Tra la la," the River Person sang. "Fire burns brightly in the hearts of people."

The boat took off, Grillby trying to decipher today's riddle. Yesterday's was about him, he knew that. But who was the focus of today's? Was it… Frisk?

Sans was late arriving to the bar that morning, coming in about twenty minutes late. This surprised him, but he made no motion to question were Sans had been.

He knew better than that.


	4. A Place to Remember

Grillby wasn't sure if Frisk would be coming back tonight. Rumors spread in the form of visiting monsters for the weekly Dog Guardians of the Underground. They came in Sans's words over burgers and ketchup bottles. The human was near Asgore's castle, sitting on a rock and listening to the tales of the monsters who explained the story of the young son. And the mother, the father, and that human who fell too far.

There was also a rumor of Alphys and Undyne getting together. Sans offhandedly mentioned that Frisk played a part in it, and Grillby was happy. Those two had been talking about each other long enough – something was bound to happen eventually.

His mind wandered away from the events of the day and back to the human. They would not be returning – this he was somehow sure of. Then, why was he setting out a box of dull crayons and paper on the counter, being careful to not hold the box for long enough to melt the crayons? Why had he cleaned the table where they slept first and left a cup by the sink? Was he now so used to their presence every night that he could not imagine a time where they did not come home?

 _Home._ Grillby paused, leaning back into the shelves behind the bar counter. _I think of this place as the human's home. This is not their home, it is elsewhere._

Where was it, then? They had come to the mountain for a reason. They had come down the hole for a reason. They had stayed and not tried to escape for a reason.

The knock at the door nearly caused Grillby to knock glasses off the shelf. In a few strides, he was at the door and opening it.

The human was exhausted. A glance told him that much. Their face was worn, their clothes dirty. Yet they still held themselves high and noble, much like they had when they first arrived at their door. Grillby stepped aside to let them in, whereupon they unceremoniously dumped their sleeping bag onto their booth bed.

Grillby tapped Frisk's shoulder and signed _"Wait"_ , before quickly stepping behind the counter and into the kitchen.

They had not understood the sign, but Frisk went to sit at the booth counter anyway, thinking about how they should stock up on food tomorrow. The butterscotch pie slice still sat in their bag, a little crumbled and smooshed, but most likely still good. They knew who they had to save it for – to give it to.

While musing on that, they noticed the crayons and paper a little way down from their spot, and excitedly hopped down a couple stools to dump the box and begin to scribble on a sheet of paper.

Grillby came out with some of the last fries and a bottle of ketchup, noticing that Frisk was coloring a picture. When he bent over to look, they lifted it up to their chest, shaking their head and signing, _"No"_. He nodded, placing the food next to Frisk's paper and crayons.

When they were finished, Frisk left them behind to get a glass of water first and came back to Grillby, who was absentmindedly polishing glasses. Picking at the fries with small nibbles, Frisk slid the drawing across the counter, turning it so it faced Grillby.

He felt the urge to choke out a sob. Pushing it down, he bent over to study the picture more closely. It was of him and Frisk, eating together at the bar. Clearly a child's work (he had seen Monster Kid's feet drawings firsthand), but the message still showed through. They were sharing burgers and fries, and seemed to give off a happy air.

Grillby picked up delicately, and motioned for Frisk to follow him to the message board. Excitedly following while taking another fry to munch on, they watched as Grillby affixed it to the board with a pin, and asked for Frisk to get a crayon.

"You should sign it. Then, we should get some rest."

A messy signature, barely readable, appeared on the drawing moments later.

* * *

Grillby was being slowly woken up. Something was making noise downstairs. Sitting up quietly to listen, his flames began to brighten and make shadows on the walls. Focusing on where it was coming from, he eventually figured out that the moving sounds were downstairs.

Sliding out of bed, he gingerly opened his door and began to walk down the stairwell, but not before he heard a sound –

 _THUMP! Crash!_

Grillby didn't care about being quiet then. Perhaps a monster from far away that they had not befriended had broken into the bar, and was now attacking Frisk, who had been asleep and defenseless.

Slamming open the door, he didn't know what to expect. But certainly not the child sitting up on the floor, staring at him before looking back to the shattered glass and puddle. Grillby went and grabbed the broom, sweeping up the glass into a bin while Frisk sat quietly, blanket flung around their shoulders in silence.

"Did you have a nightmare?" Frisk didn't respond, instead getting up and gingerly stepped around the glass. Swinging onto a tall booth seat, they lifted the crayons up and began to draw. Grillby leaned on the broom while trying to not laugh at how ridiculous this sight would look under normal circumstances – the child at the bar with a massive blanket, and him in his pajamas leaning onto the broom which he was trying to not touch with his feet.

Eventually, Frisk held out the completed drawing. They had colored the paper to the point of wearing out the black crayon, and showed themselves trapped in a dream, with another person looming overhead, brown hair and green striped shirt. He wasn't sure what to make of the white creatures and other red things, but knew that they had been trapped in whatever this nightmare was, and that it must have been horrifying to have someone with red eyes following you.

Rushing back to the kitchen, Grillby brought Frisk another glass of water after starting up a small pot to make hot chocolate in for the small human. The cold of Snowdin seemed to finally be getting to them, alongside the shivers that came with dreams.

Sitting down next to them at the bar, they played a few coloring games and did simple, silent things together until sunlight began to shine through cracks in the mountain, causing the snow to sparkle.

Frisk packed up and Grillby gave them a few Cinnamon Bunnies and a bit of gold, telling them that had better buy more food before meeting Asgore. He had no idea what on earth the child might face, if Asgore would try to fulfill the mission that the other monsters had failed in… or if he would take the human in. They were peaceful, having befriended every monster underground. Perhaps… they could persuade Asgore as well. Following Frisk out the door and handing them the bag of food, they walked down the lane, people solemnly watching the pair.

This time, Grillby did not want to descend the stairs. He knew the pain of watching the boat go would be unbearable. So instead, he paused. Frisk also did, looking up to the tall flaming monster who seemed hesitant. Pulling gently on his sleeve, they repeated the same motion they had done two nights ago.

 _Hug._

Grillby fell to his knees instantly, pulling the human into his arms and hugging them tightly. Frisk hugged him back, arms barely wrapping around his sides. Grillby found himself not wanting to even let _go._ Releasing them could mean the worst. It could mean they might not come back again. He had let himself become too attached to the human. They belonged to someone else on the surface. Someone who… they didn't care about. What if he was the closest being Frisk had ever had to a parental figure? What then? Would they still want him? What if they left him for good when Asgore opened the barrier…

He hardly noticed Frisk pulling away. Finally, they nudged his side. Surprised at the contact, Grillby released them. Exchanging one last look, the human descended the stairs, and Grillby did not pick himself up from the ground until far later.

The bar did not open at it's usual hour that day.


	5. A Place to Depart

When the bar finally opened, the news spread quickly, as it always had. The line forming out the door had been a breeding ground for rumors, and they all came to Grillby in bits and pieces.

He was known throughout the Underground for raising the human – almost notorious. People were giving him updates about watching them walk through the Hotland after getting off the boat, about going down to the Castle, and seeing them enter. Grillby just wasn't sure if they would come out, too.

He tried to distract himself by cooking and serving, but his usual flair was dampened with worry. Like a cloud, it hung over him, constantly looming and refusing to blow away. People noticed, but nobody wanted to say anything. They hadn't realized his attachment was this strong. Grillby kept going back to what the River Person had said.

 _"Tra la la. The man who wears his passion on his body might fall victim to it."_

* * *

It happened later in the day, just before he changed the menu. Sans had not shown up that day, and Papyrus or Undyne never showed up after the usual lunch rush. They had been coming in and demanding spaghetti after failed cooking classes, asking after Frisk's health and how they were holding up.

However, just as he had gone outside to switch the sign for dinner, Grillby noticed a light. It covered the rock face above them; a brilliant shine that made all the crystals glow.

Monsters began to run. Was this the barrier? The few people who might have the answer to that question were not present to explain it…

However, he saw a person walking into town from the east, the light spreading outwards through the Underground with every step they took. In their arms they held a small clay pot with a yellow flower inside, and Asogre ambled behind them, waving high and urging the monsters deeper towards the Castle.

Grillby nearly dropped the signs, kneeling to catch them right before they hit the snow.

Frisk was holding the flower pot. Frisk, bleeding, with a golden locket and an empty sack, was walking with Asgore. Frisk, smiling like the sun had just come out. Frisk, who had come home.

"Frisk!" Grillby cried out. They noticed him instantly and handed the flower to Asgore before breaking out in a sprint towards him. Their arms outstretched and took him into a hug, mouth open like they were laughing aloud. Grillby lifted the child into the air, never more relived to see them in his life. They were safe. Safe as could be, in a hug. And he hoped to himself that there would be many more in the future, on the surface, once they stepped through the barrier. He held them there as the energy died down into a quiet hum, now that the residents of Snowdin had almost all left.

Frisk was the first to squirm. Leaning back, he looked at their face, and saw a hand pointing out behind him. Turning to look, he almost dropped what was in his arms for a second time.

The Queen herself was coming down from the forest path, a slew of Froggits, Whimsuns, Vegetoids, and other monsters following close behind her. Dressed in simple robes and no crown, she seemed just as surprised as he was to see the crystals lit, and the Underground pulsing with a new light.

"My child!" she cried out. Grillby instinctively held Frisk closer, but then remembered something he had said earlier, the first night Frisk arrived.

 _"And when you left to come here, I assume you gave up another bed?"_

She must have been the one protecting all the children. She was the mother that they talked about, who constantly asked them about snails and was the one who always left them with a delicious slice of pie. Grillby had seen two of the six children showing it off to the dogs in the bar, speaking of her highly, but then looking to the ground, muttering something about having to leave because they wanted to get home. He could only assume the same of the other four.

Frisk scrambled down Grillby's legs and ran to Toriel, tightly embracing her legs. Humming softly, she stroked the child's hair before looking up to Grillby.

"Are you the one who that joke teller talks about? The one who has been looking after my child?"

Grillby could only smile and shrug, his flames twisting to change the structure of his face. Sans. He must have been talking to the Queen all this time… clearly, that smiling skeleton knew more than he was ever letting on.

Meanwhile, Frisk was nodding rapidly, gesturing at Grillby and signing, _"Love. Grillby, dad."_ Grillby recognized the motions and felt his soul get a little warmer.

"I don't quite understand what you are saying, my child, but I'll take your word for it," Toriel laughed.

"Come on, Frisk." Grillby extended his hand, and Frisk took it gleefully, swinging it back and forth while they caught up to Asgore. Toriel did not give him a second glance, much to his dismay, but distracted himself by handing the flower pot back to Frisk.

"Are you ready to go now? Sheesh, I thought you'd never stop giving out hugs." The yellow flower began to mutter to itself, and Grillby bit back a sigh. He could feel that if Frisk held onto this talking flower, he would have to resist the urge to torch it.

Hand in hand, they walked the long trek to the Castle, and to the barrier, where Undyne, Papyrus, Alphys, and Sans were directing people.

"Move right this way, follow The Great Papyrus!" "I-If you'd like to follow him that's totally fine… b-but an orderly fashion would be n-nice…" "Don't sweat the details, let's just get outta here!" Grillby noticed the four chittering away at the group of people leaving in groups, and he pointed them out to Frisk, who ran over and hugged them each in turn. The flower's groans were audible even from where Grillby was standing.

"You're the best, Grillbs." Sans came up to him, closing his eyes and shaking his head back and forth. "Do you think you're gonna keep caring for that kid out there?"

"I should think so."

Sans's grin got the slightest bit wider while his eyes shifted to Toriel, who was talking with Shyren and Napstablook, two people relieved at witnessing their Queen once more.

"…You might have some competition."

"It's nothing I can't handle," Grillby replied, his little smile coming back along with Frisk, who signed, _"Let's go"_ before taking his hand. He approached the barrier with the last of the monsters, wondering what could be on the other side.

Without fear, they stepped through together, the light engulfing them both.

…

The sun was setting over the horizon.


End file.
